The Happiest Day of Their Lives (?)
by Lyatt1941
Summary: Wyatt and Lucy's wedding day is everything they could ever dream of..and more...so much more...as in more guests than they ever dreamed of having at their wedding. After navigating awkward questions and a host of traditions...Wyatt and Lucy finally steal away to find time for one another.


It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Standing in the richly paneled reception room surrounded by people she either didn't know or hardly knew, Lucy stood on her tiptoes, straining her neck, in an attempt to catch sight of an equally cornered and mystified Wyatt.

When they had gotten engaged, they both had agreed that a big wedding was far from necessary; neither had any family they wanted to invite, after all. Wyatt, because his father was a world class sonofabitch and according to him, "most likely in jail" and Lucy…well, her family was all Rittenhouse. Despite the obvious reasons why including them on the guest list would be a bad idea, Lucy considered what her mother had told her about her lineage, legacy and responsibility to preserve the family line…and since Wyatt was neither Rittenhouse nor some pedigreed socialite with a penchant for world domination, she figured they would probably oppose the marriage anyway.

Wyatt and Lucy decided, therefore, that they would have a small ceremony surrounded by the people they cared about the most…namely, Rufus, Jiya, Connor Mason, and Agent Christopher- something they decided to share with them one sunny mid-morning Saturday at their favorite brunch spot.

"That has got to be the saddest thing I have ever heard."

Wyatt and Lucy exchanged anxious looks as Jiya shook their head at them - in apparent disapproval - from across the pancake and waffle laden table. This was hardly the reaction they had expected from their announcement, but considering it was Jiya who had objected...the youngest and spunkiest of the bunch...they chocked her distaste for a small wedding up to her bubbly and social personality. When Rufus chimed in, however, they began to second guess themselves.

"I appreciate making the cut and all, but damn you two…don't you know anybody else?"

"Well…" Lucy stammered in embarrassment as she and Wyatt exchanged bewildered looks, "I mean, I know a few people from Stanford and then there's my old friends from college…but…"

"And I'm sure Wyatt has some old Army friends he could invite." Jiya offered up encouragingly, "Don't you, Wyatt?" He stared back at her blankly, not knowing how to respond. Yeah, of course, he had some old Army buddies...but considering how his best friend in Delta Force was maybe, possibly dead...or alive...he wasn't quite sure which now with all the timeline changes...he hadn't really considered...

"Lucy," Jiya gasped out excitedly, "you could have one of those awesome military weddings with the uniforms and the raised swords…ugh, it would be the most amazing thing ever."

Wyatt looked back at Jiya like he didn't think it would be the most amazing thing ever, but now that Lucy was looking at him expectantly, he felt his resolve falter as he shrugged, "Um…well, I mean…I guess we can do something like that."

"Then it's all settled." Mason said as he clapped his hands together, "Don't you two worry about finding a venue, leave that all up to me…I still know a few people in some very high places who owe me quite a bit of favors."

"Oh no, really…" Lucy objected weakly, "we don't want to bother you with…"

"Nonsense!" Mason replied brightly, "it will be my infinite pleasure, really…after living in that bunker for so long, it will be nice to organize a social event again. Which reminds me, I'll take care of the catering too…I've been to too many weddings where the hors'd'oeuvres left more than a little to be desired…and the last thing one wants is unhappy guests at their wedding." Mason snapped his fingers, "Which reminds me, soft bar or open bar?" Lucy exchanged a blank look with Wyatt before Mason replied to himself, "Mmmm soft bar…I think it will be far more sophisticated."

Seeing the looks of alarm on Wyatt and Lucy's faces, Agent Christopher smiled as she tried to diffuse the situation, "If you give me the names of the people you'd like to have at your wedding, I can arrange the invitations. I think, particularly with the death of your mother, Lucy, it would be a nice courtesy to inform the people you knew before all of this that you are well, happy and moving on with your life."

"Exactly." Jiya said with a nod, "I mean, we've been living underground for what? Nearly a year? Just letting people know you're alive would be a nice gesture."

Lucy exchanged a nervous glance with an equally unnerved Wyatt, "Re…really," she stammered, "we just want something small...we really don't need a big fuss…"

"Who says it's gonna be a big fuss?" Rufus asked, "Only about 20% of the people invited actually show up…"

"I don't think that's right, actually…" Lucy began but Rufus continued to talk over her.

"Besides, even if you don't like the people, think of all the free stuff you'll get." He added as he popped a French fry in his mouth, "that's the number one reason people send out invitations anyway…for the presents."

"No, that's the reason you invite people to things." Jiya corrected him with an eye roll. "Look, you guys," Jiya said as she turned to Lucy and Wyatt, "you went through a hell of a lot just to be together…don't you think you should have a wedding you'll always want to remember?"

"Maybe they're right…" Wyatt muttered to Lucy, pressing a small kiss to her temple as they cuddled next to one another on their couch later that evening, "maybe we should…I don't know…do a little more than just exchange a few vows and that's it…"

Lucy sat up and stared back at him incredulously, "Are…are you sure? Wyatt," she admonished, "this is our wedding…we can have as many people or as few people there as we want…

"Yeah, but Lucy…Jiya's right. This should be a special day…and like Agent Christopher said, it's just a courtesy thing, letting people know we're okay…more than okay," he corrected with as he kissed her hand with a smirk, "chances are most people will just throw the invitation in the trash."

"That's a nice thought." Lucy said with a derisive laugh as she laid her head back down against his chest.

"Oh, come on, Lucy…you know what I mean." Wyatt quipped, "How many people go to weddings of people they haven't spoken to in years?"

As it turned out…quite a few.

The response to their obligatory invitations was so overwhelmingly and alarmingly positive, that Wyatt and Lucy's hope of a small wedding quickly became a pipe dream and had them scrambling to find a venue large enough to support every one of their long lost friends, family and acquaintances...and find it they did, with Mason's help. It was an historic estate on a hill, just outside of San Francisco, with sweeping terraced gardens, a distant view of the bay...and it was absolutely breathtaking.

"See?" Mason offered, shooting them both a meaningful grin as he walked the grounds with them, "Isn't this just the most spectacular place? Imagine how beautiful this place will be with flowers here...and the guests over here...and we could get a small orchestra and put them here..."

"Is Mason marrying you or am I?" Wyatt muttered in Lucy's ear as she jabbed in the ribs.

"This is...really Connor," Lucy exclaimed as she took in the sights around her, "this is too much...I don't know if we can afford all of this..."

"Nonsense." Mason dismissed with a wave of his hand, "I told you...I'm calling in a few overdue favors. Don't you worry about a thing. You two are almost like children to me...and what father doesn't want to dote on his daughter on their wedding day?" he added as he gently patted a clearly affected Lucy on the cheek.

As Mason stepped inside the historic estate to make the necessary arrangements, Lucy looked out over the terraced gardens with Wyatt, holding his hand. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful..I'm just...this is..."

"It's definitely memorable." Wyatt acknowledged with a nod, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "It's going to be okay, Lucy. The most important thing is that we're together, right?"

Smiling at him, Lucy nodded, "Right...but, Wyatt?" she asked nervously, "All those people..."

"Lucy," he chuckled, "Rufus is probably right...about half of them won't show up anyway...and if they do show up," he shrugged as he motioned to the sweeping grounds, "this place is big enough, it shouldn't be a problem. But honestly," he said to her soothingly, pulling her in for a hug, "I don't think we're going to have anything to worry about...I mean, who's going to drop everything to come all the way to San Francisco for a wedding of two people they hardly know?"

It wasn't long before Wyatt was soon eating those words as more and more positive responses came pouring in from family, friends and colleagues they hadn't seen or heard from in years.

While neither of them could readily understand it, the plain truth of the matter was that Lucy Preston and Wyatt Logan were quite the interesting pair…

It had been years since Wyatt had seen and served with his Delta Force friends and while he had one hell of a reputation for reckless bravery, he had another reputation...that of being decidedly single. Of course, most of them knew what had happened with Jessica and the guilt he felt over her murder, but that hadn't stopped them from doing everything they could to help him move on….and Wyatt had hated it. There hadn't been one celebratory event or one Friday night at the bar which didn't have his group of friends desperately trying to find Wyatt a girl...but try and they might, he had refused every single one of them, oping instead to check out early and go home alone. Discovering that he was now set to remarry after so many years of rebuffing each and every attempt at a set-up had them more than a little curious to meet the woman who had finally worn down Wyatt Logan's defenses.

Lucy, likewise, had plenty of her own former friends and colleagues abuzz with curiosity.

In this timeline, of course, Lucy Preston had been engaged for some years to Dr. Noah…something - a seemingly perfect and well-suited match, one that was heavily supported and encouraged by her mother. Now, on the heels of her mother's death and after her own mysterious disappearance, Lucy was suddenly set to marry a former Master Sergeant of the United States Army...a man whose background, reputation, and upbringing were completely at odds with those of her former fiancé. Spurred on by a rapt curiosity and a desire to support Lucy during her time of loss, countless old friends, colleagues and fellow members of the academic community…particularly those who knew her mother, responded to the invitation in the affirmative…wanting to see for themselves, what exactly was going on with Carol Preston's daughter.

When it was further discovered that the Connor Mason would not only be a guest at the wedding, but would, in fact, be walking Lucy down the aisle the damage was decidedly done; their wedding officially ceased to be the small, intimate affair they had hoped for and instead, became the social event of the year.

So no, it wasn't supposed to be like this…but here they were; separated by a sea of near strangers and sending each other non-verbal cues like they had been married for two and half decades instead of two and half hours.

Wyatt, at least, looked like he was now having an enjoyable time, despite being separated from Lucy. He was laughing and smiling with a group of his old Delta Force friends, which included, much to Lucy's surprise, one Dave Baumgardner…whom she had last seen dead…in 1937 Paris. Jessica's return had obviously changed his fate for the better…though she wasn't quite sure how he could still be alive since Flynn reset the timeline…

Lucy startled back to attention as she realized there were several of her mother's old friends looking at her expectantly, "Oh…I'm sorry…what did you say?"

One of the women, one Lucy knew to be her mother's editor, piped up, "I was just saying how curious it was that you got married to Wyatt so quickly…weren't you engaged to Noah for three years?"

With pleading eyes, Lucy looked across the room towards Wyatt who, unfortunately, had at that moment just turned away from her. Already she had been asked what had happened between her and the doctor, where she and Wyatt could have possibly met seeing that he was a soldier and she was…who she was, had her mother (God rest her soul) approved of Wyatt as much as she had Noah, and one particularly rude guest had the nerve to speculate if the reason she and Wyatt had had such a sudden and short engagement was because she had found herself in "trouble."

She downed an entire glass of champagne in one gulp after that one.

As much as she appreciated that so many people had taken an interest in her life to the point of attending her wedding and bombarding her with a litany of awkward questions, she was just about at her wit's end.

She needed out…she needed air.

Excusing herself as politely as she could, Lucy wormed her way out of the throng of people and headed towards the open French doors, breathing out a sigh of relief as she stepped out into the peaceful tranquility of the summer's night. Spread open before her, empty and inviting, was a beautiful moonlit garden, that just hours before had been as bustling and crowded as it now was inside. Apart from a few other guests dotted along the wide veranda, she was alone…and while she realized being alone on her wedding day wasn't the ideal…she couldn't bring herself to care right at that moment.

Right now, in that moment, she needed peace, quiet…and a chance to just relish in the fact that she and Wyatt were now actually married. The entire day had been such a blur, she hadn't really had time to appreciate any of it…and that made her eternally grateful that the few guests who had also taken solace outdoors allowed her some privacy. From the nods of quiet greetings they offered, it seemed they understood her need for solitude after such an overwhelming day.

Overwhelming…that's hardly the word she ever wanted to use to describe her wedding day...but so it had been, from the moment she had woken up that morning.

* * *

"What time is it?" Lucy groaned as she blindly reached for her phone. She was sprawled out facedown on a futon in Jiya's apartment, having been kidnapped the night before for tradition's sake. Something that had not set well with Wyatt,

"It's time for you to have your spa treatment." Jiya announced in a commanding voice, "Come on, get up lazy bones or I'll drag you out of this futon by your ankles."

"Can I at least have a cup of coffee?" Lucy moaned as she rubbed her eyes and yawned, "I'm never going to make it through tonight, if I don't get some caffeine."

"Nope." Jiya said with a shake of her head, handing her a cup filled with a thick pink liquid, "Grapefruit smoothie...it's gonna do wonders for your skin...and you want to look your best today, right?"

Lucy moaned, but didn't argue. She was grateful that she had Jiya to serve in a place she had always imagined her sister would fill…and though she still missed Amy terribly, she had a feeling that even Jiya would go easier on her than Amy would have. Amy had always been the more out-going of the Preston sisters and had always pushed Lucy to get out of her comfort zone...in just about every situation. Her wedding day, Lucy mused, would have been no different...and in all honesty, when Jiya had complained about the idea of a small wedding, it had reminded Lucy so much of her sister, that when the time came to choose her maid of honor, there really was no question in her mind about who it should be. Whether Jiya realized the significance of the role she was playing in terms of filling Amy Preston's shoes or not, she certainly was taking her appointed role very seriously.

Too seriously.

When they entered the Day Spa, Lucy began to reconsider the need for having a maid of honor at all as Jiya began ticking off all of the services she had ordered for Lucy that day. "Jiya…" she stammered out incredulously, "is..is there going to be enough time for all of this? I mean, I really don't think I need a hot stone massage…"

"Yes, you do." Jiya interrupted with a determined nod of her head, "your wedding day can be one of the most stressful days of your life…starting the day off right with a nice massage and facial will give us a head start on conquering all those nerves you'll be feeling later on today. But first, we're getting you in for an exfolliating treatment followed by a full body mud wrap."

At that, Lucy began to panic, "Oh no...please, Jiya...I don't need to be wrapped up in anything."

"Lucy, as your maid of honor it is my job to see that you are looking and feeling your best on your wedding day." she admonished, "Trust me, you're gonna love it."

She didn't.

For some people, lying on a table while wrapped from shoulder to toe in mud and seaweed and whatever else they managed to put lather on her, might have been relaxing...but for Lucy, who already had an issue with claustrophobia, it was pure hell. By the time her "treatment" was finished, she was close to hyperventilating...which made her grateful for the hot stone massage she had discounted earlier.

"I thought we had decided you were just going to do my hair and make-up?" Lucy asked Jiya anxiously as the hair dresser set the last of the rollers in her hair. She had already been at the day spa for hours and it was only now that they were finally getting her ready for the happiest day of her life. Checking her watch nervously, Lucy added, "Are you sure we have time for all of this? I don't want to be late to my own wedding..."

"Relax, Lucy. Do you really think I'm not going to get you to your wedding on time?" she insisted, though Lucy remained ever skeptical. "Besides, you're gonna look like a million bucks when all this is over. Just wait until Wyatt sees you. He's going to forget Jessica ever even existed."

Never one to put too much stock into her appearance, Lucy deferred to Jiya's council…but she couldn't help but think that Wyatt wouldn't care one way or the other what she looked like. He had seen Lucy in every kind of outfit imaginable, from 17th century Puritan garbs to 20th century Hollywood starlet. He had seen her sick with fever, covered head to toe in muck and mud…and yes, he had even seen her bruised and bloodied…but never once had he looked at her like she was anything other than beautiful. Today would be no different, Lucy was sure…even if she walked down the aisle wearing a potato sack.

As it was, she was not planning on using a potato sack for her wedding dress, but as she sat two hours later, clad in her slip, staring up at the dress she had selected, Jiya's jab at Jessica suddenly came back to haunt her.

It was silly, she knew. Wyatt had chosen her..but she had been his first wife, after all…and no matter what Rittenhouse had turned her into, Lucy knew that some version of her was still near and dear to Wyatt's heart. True, he may have overlooked the problems in their marriage after her death and yes, she had been unfaithful to him (in both timelines) but Wyatt had loved her…loved her enough to marry her, to try to save her…and well, as much as she didn't begrudge him for those true and noble feelings, she still couldn't help but wonder if in all of this, Wyatt would be reminded of his first wedding to the woman he had loved before her, the woman who had been corrupted into a Rittenhouse sycophant by her family...

When she came down the aisle would his mind be on the here and now...of the start of their new life together? Or would he be drawing those comparisons? Thinking about his first wedding? How things might have gone differently? She had never been married before...so she had no idea...maybe it was just inevitable that Wyatt would think of Jessica...and what if...what if after all of this he was disappointed ? What if this wedding didn't measure up to his first? Wyatt had been the one to really promote the idea of a small wedding to begin with...what if in the end of all of this he preferred his wedding ceremony to Jessica over this one?

She had worked herself up into a state of complete panic, pacing nervously in the dressing room, thinking of nothing but how she and this wedding might compare to the first one Wyatt had experienced when his voice called to her from the other side of the door, "I can hear you thinking in there. What are you worrying about now?"

She had never been so happy to hear his voice in her whole life, but as he slowly began to open the door a wave of panic washed over her, "Wyatt Logan," she gasped as she ran to push the door closed, "you aren't supposed to be anywhere near here. It's bad luck."

"Says who?" Wyatt's voice called back as he tried to push the door open again, "We've had more than our fair share of bad luck, Lucy…I don't think seeing you in your wedding dress before the actual wedding is going to cause some massive cosmic disturbance that dooms us for all eternity."

That certainly was true…they had weathered more storms in their relationship than most people had in an entire lifetime, but here they were…minutes away from tying the proverbial knot. They had beaten the odds…and that was exactly why, superstition or no, Lucy refused to test fate by breaking one of the cardinal pre-wedding rules. "I don't care, Wyatt. It's a thing…besides, I'm not even dressed yet." Lucy informed him.

"Even better." he called through the door…and Lucy was positive he was smirking. "So I won't be seeing you in your wedding dress any way." he offered, "come on, just let me in, I haven't seen you since yesterday morning."

"If you think I'm opening this door, you have another thing coming." Lucy called back in a warning voice, "Even if I didn't believe in these silly superstitions…which I don't...Jiya would kill me."

"What the hell is Jiya worried about? She and Rufus don't believe in that stuff."

"You're right." Jiya's voice sounded from behind Wyatt. "We don't…but I'm not letting you see Lucy until she walks down that aisle."

Wyatt spun around only to find himself facing Jiya who was holding a small box in her hand and hitting him with such an admonishing glare that he begrudgingly moved away from the door to let her pass. "We should've just eloped." Wyatt mumbled as Jiya made her way past, still staring him down as if daring him to try to sneak a peek at Lucy. Wyatt rolled his eyes as he turned and faced the wall while Jiya quickly slipped through the door to Lucy's dressing room. Once the door was firmly snapped shut behind her, however, Wyatt turned back to the door to voice more complaints, "Who the hell are all those people out there anyway?"

He could hear the rustling of material as Lucy's muffled voice answered, "Your friends from the Army, my colleagues from Stanford…"

"I don't mean to contradict my soon to be wife on our wedding day, but I call bullshit on that, ma'am" he grumbled, "I know we only invited about fifty other people...there's got to be about 300 people out there."

Lucy sighed to herself as Jiya fastened the tiny buttons that ran the length of her back. Yes, they had only invited about 50 other people…but those people had told other people and soon Lucy and Wyatt were taking phone calls from long lost friends and relatives who wanted to know why they hadn't been invited. "I know…but so many people on my side are coming because…well, because I just lost my mother…and they're just trying to be supportive…since I don't really have anyone anymore."

"You have me." Wyatt responded softly...which nearly set Lucy to crying.

Jiya, seeing the well of tears threatening to spill out and ruin an entire day's worth of preparation, yanked the bobby pins out of her mouth and snapped, "I swear to God, Wyatt if you make Lucy cry right now, I'm going to object to this whole damn wedding."

"You would not." Wyatt scoffed in irritation.

"Try me." Jiya muttered through the bobby pins she had pressed between her lips again, "Shouldn't you be getting ready, anyway?" she asked as she worked to carefully secure Lucy's veil without ruining her elegant updo.

"I am ready." Wyatt moaned, "Hell, I've been ready since this morning…who plans a sunset wedding, anyway?"

"You." Lucy reminded him, "You said 'the later the wedding, the shorter the party.'" Wyatt groaned and Lucy could hear his head hit the door again.

"Why don't you go out and mingle with the guests, Wyatt?" Jiya called out in an annoyed voice.

Even though the door was closed, Lucy could see the scowl on Wyatt's face, so it was no surprise to her when Wyatt responded with a less than pleasant response. "Wow, do you kiss Lucy with that mouth?" Jiya gritted out as she roughly shoved a pin into Lucy's hair.

'Wyatt," Lucy soothed, "it's only a half an hour before the wedding. Go find Rufus and…"

"I've been with Rufus for the past 36 hours…"

"Oh, come on, Wyatt," Jiya interrupted, "it's not been that long."

"The hell it hasn't." he countered, "you came and took off with Lucy yesterday morning, with some lame ass excuse that you had to get her ready for the wedding. I know that it takes you ladies a bit longer to…ya know…get ready…but two days? Come on."

"For your information, Wyatt." Jiya countered, "the actual wedding prep didn't take place until this morning. I kidnapped her yesterday because of…ya know… tradition."

Well screw tradition." Wyatt muttered angrily, "I had to sleep in the same damn room as Rufus last night…do you know how much he snores?" Jiya rolled her eyes as Wyatt continued, "I didn't get any sleep."

"Which explains the great mood." Jiya mumbled under her breath. "Believe me, Wyatt…when Lucy comes down that aisle, you'll see…it'll be worth it."

And it was.

As the music struck up that familiar march, Lucy was all-too happy to have Mason's arm to cling to as she slowly made her way down the aisle towards an awe-struck Wyatt. Every panic-stricken thought she had had about comparison's to Jessica and Wyatt's disappointment, flew out of her head as she took in the completely mesmerized look on his face as he made her way down the flower strewn path to where he was waiting for her. The crowd of curious well-wishers, the venue, the orchestra...everything faded away until it was just the two of them, gazing at one another in rapturous delight...and it very nearly took her breath away. When they finally reached the altar and Mason handed her over, Wyatt's look of complete and total veneration gave way to a flirtatious smirk, as he breathed out in relief, "You're a sight for sore eyes…ma'am."

"You don't look so bad yourself, soldier." Lucy replied with a soft smile, "You ready for this?" she asked with a nod of her head towards the altar.

Wyatt pressed a kiss to her hand and tugged her closer, "With you? Always."

The rest of the wedding was a happy blur. The vows, the rings…the kiss that left her weak kneed and slightly dizzy, the retreat down back down the aisle through raised sabers that set Jiya crying…and before she knew it, they were being whisked away for photographs, toasts, and shaking hands with well-wishers, both familiar and unfamiliar, and listening to Rufus declare to anyone who would listen that he shipped "Lyatt" from the very beginning.

Standing on the veranda now, she could fully appreciate how sublimely romantic the scene really was. Apart from the historic nature of the estate, the view from the hill on which it was established, was absolutely stunning; far enough away from the city to offer a peaceful and serene setting, yet close enough to see the San Francisco bay sparkling in the moonlight. The gardens on the estate were well tended and fully in bloom, filling the air with the sweet aroma of spring flowers, separated by cobblestone paths that wound in and around the neatly trimmed hedges.

It was there, in the midst of that beautiful garden, in front of an ivy trellised gazebo, that she and Wyatt had officially become man and wife…something that still felt too surreal to be true. She had been too overjoyed, overwhelmed, and overemotional, at the time to drink in any of her surroundings…and now, with the band and the guests safely distracted inside, Lucy meandered her way through the garden determined to capture every last detail of her wedding day and commit it to memory.

Slowly making her way through the cobblestoned path lined with flowering bushes, Lucy looked up at the sky filled with sparkling stars. Wyatt might have complained about the sunset wedding earlier, but as Lucy closed her eyes to try to capture the fleeting image of him standing against the orange and pink streaked sky, nothing could have been more perfect. The sun was setting on the old chapter of both of their lives; lives filled with pain, heart ache and regret…and it would rise again on a new one...one that they would make together.

"You know if you wanted to ditch me, you're about three hours too late." Wyatt's voice called to her as he jogged up the darkened path towards her. He smirked as he finally got close enough to take her hand in his, lifting it to admire her new wedding ring, "You're stuck with me now, ma'am."

"Is that so? Well…I think I can live with that." Lucy answered as she snaked her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips. He had predictably abandoned his tux coat long ago. Wyatt was never one for formal attire, after all, and while Lucy thought he looked incredibly handsome in a tuxedo, she had to admit that the rolled sleeve look he was now sporting wasn't bad either. "I see you finally managed to break away…"

"Uh-huh...I've been looking all over for you." Wyatt muttered as he wrapped his arms around Lucy's waist.

"Oh really? Because when I saw you last you looked like you were having a pretty good time talking to your old Army friends."

"Are you kidding?" Wyatt asked incredulously as he planted a kiss to her nose, "You think I wanted to spend all night talking to those assholes?" He scoffed, "Just be glad you were on the other side of the room." Taking her hand in his, he tugged her along the garden path, "I couldn't wait to get away."

"It can't have been worse than what I was dealing with." Lucy grumbled as she slowly walked next to Wyatt in the garden. "I saw my chance to escape, so I took it."

"Yeah...about that, I thought we had a deal? For better, for worse…I mean, I don't want to be that guy but you did just promise to stick with me through the good times and the bad times…and I think that definitely includes whatever the hell is going on in there." he said as he motioned towards the large house, "When I went looking for you, some guy cornered me trying to talk to me about pottery, Lucy…pottery."

"That would have been Dr. Sizemore…he is actually a brilliant Materials Scientist. They deal with ancient pottery, ceramics, that kind of thing." she explained, "You know they aren't just historians…there's so much more that goes into it - chemistry, physics, engineering. They can recreate an entire bowl from one tiny shard of…oh," Lucy mumbled sheepishly as Wyatt threw his head back in exasperation, "sorry."

"Seriously, Lucy…why the hell did we invite so many damn people? I don't think I even know half of them." Wyatt muttered.

"I was just thinking the same thing…" Lucy agreed, "…but at least it made Mason happy. I think he was looking forward to this more than we were."

"Yeah, Jiya and Rufus too" Wyatt said with a nod, "which reminds me…they're looking for you too."

Lucy stopped short, "What? Why?" she asked in annoyance, "I thought we already did everything on our itinerary?" she withdrew her hand from Wyatt's and began ticking off her fingers, "cake, dance, toast, mingle…"

"Bouquet." Wyatt reminded her, "Oh and I'm supposed to take off your garter too, but um…after a few chats with some of the old Delta Force team, I think we're gonna skip that one."

Lucy quirked her brow, "Oh really? And why is that?"

"Let's just say it's probably a good thing that I'm out here and not in there kicking a few of their asses."

Lucy looked back towards the house with a wry smile and noticed with a tinge of alarm, Jiya and Rufus standing together on the veranda, their eyes scanning the grounds…in an apparent search for them. She had just turned to say something to Wyatt about going back, when he quickly wrapped his arm around her waist and ducked them behind a garden wall. "Wyatt, what are you doing?"

"What do you think, I'm doing?" Wyatt breathed out as he peeked around the corner back towards the house, "I'm saving our asses."

"Oh come on, Wyatt." Lucy laughed, "The sooner we get this bouquet toss over with, the sooner everybody will go home."

"Are you sure about that?" Wyatt asked her doubtfully, "On my way out here to find you, I overheard Rufus talking about limbo and a conga line….no way in hell am I sticking around for that. Today has already been the longest day of my life."

Lucy sucked in an anxious breath, her nerves rising, "Didn't…didn't you like our wedding?"

Wyatt turned to her in confusion but seeing the look of hurt in her eyes, realization dawned on his face, "No…oh God, no…Lucy, that's not what I meant." He rubbed a hand across his face nervously, "I didn't mean our wedding wasn't great….I mean….apart from you know...not seeing you for hours, this…this was the most amazing day of my life."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." Wyatt said as he pressed a soft kiss to her lips, "I mean, I hate to bring it up because…you know…" he said with a face flushed with embarrassment and shame, "but when Jess and I got married, it was nothing like this…we just went in to the Justice of the Peace…"

"But…you think this was too much?"

"No…Lucy…" Wyatt stammered in explanation, "It wasn't…I agreed to all that stuff they planned because I wanted this day to be…special…you deserved that...and it was…I never thought I'd ever have anything like…" he scoffed as he cast his eyes down, "this was the most amazing day of my life."

"You mean it?" Lucy asked anxiously, "Even with all these people?"

"I don't give a damn about all of those people." Wyatt said softly, pulling her in for a kiss, "I only care about you...I would've been fine without all of this...stuff. I just want you."

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Lucy shook her head as Wyatt planted kisses along her neck, "Jiya did kinda take that to the extreme…"

"Yes! What the hell was all that kidnapping about?" Wyatt exclaimed, "And I was just about ready to murder Rufus…'do you have your vows? You need to practice you vows, Wyatt. Why haven't you practiced your vows yet?'" he mimicked, "Do you know he tried to get me to dance with him?"

Lucy burst out laughing, "He did not?"

Wyatt rolled his eyes and nodded his head in conformation, "Yeah, he had an internet printout of all the things the best man was supposed to do…bugging the hell out of the groom must have been number one."

"Well, I guess we're kindred spirits," she said with a sigh as she wrapped her arms around Wyatt's waist, "Try being stuck in full body wrap of mud and seaweed and I don't even know what else." Lucy shuddered, "do you know how panic inducing that is for someone with claustrophobia?"

"Then why did you do it?" Wyatt asked incredulously as he pressed a quick kiss to Lucy's forehead and tugged her down stairs that led to the lower garden. "Hell, why did we do any of this? We could have still had an amazing wedding without so much…stuff."

Lucy shrugged, "I don't know…because we wanted it to be memorable? But I had so many different people poking and prodding me today…I would have much rather spent the day with you."

"Well, baby doll…that makes two of us." Wyatt sighed, "But Jiya was right about one thing." Lucy cast a curious glance towards Wyatt whose face had softened into an expression of complete and total adoration as he explained with a sheepish grin, "I know I complained about not seeing you all day, but seeing you for the first time…walking down that aisle? Definitely worth it."

Lucy leaned in to give Wyatt well-deserved kiss for that last heart-warming statement when the sound of their names being called drew their attention away from each other and back towards the house, "Ugh…." she muttered as she turned to go back, but Wyatt tugged her close to him again, "Wyatt," Lucy complained, "we have to…"

"Says who?" Wyatt asked, "I mean it, Lucy…we don't have to a damn thing…it's our wedding."

"But people expect it…"

"Who gives a damn about what people expect? If I want to make out with my wife while a bunch of people we hardly know are sitting in a room eating cake and dancing to lousy covers of Top 50 songs, then I, as the groom, should be able to do that."

"That's the first time you called me your wife since we've been married." Lucy said with a beaming smile as she tugged on his shirt front. Wyatt smirked at her and leaned in for a kiss when once again they were interrupted by their names being shouted by Jiya and Rufus. Breathing out a curse, Wyatt threw back his head in frustration as Lucy let out a heavy sigh, "We might as well just go back up…they're not going to stop until we get this over with." Wyatt bit his lip in contemplation, clearly hating the idea of being forced into anymore silly traditions, but Lucy was right…the sooner they got this over with the sooner they would be able to be alone. Or…

"I have an idea" he whispered impishly, taking Lucy by the hand and ducking behind a few hedgerows.

"Wyatt," she hissed as they raced along down the hill, "what on Earth..."

"Trust me" he replied with a determined nod, "I paced this whole damn garden waiting for you to get ready...it's just a little farther."

On and on they wound their way through flowering shrubs and down a few small flights of stairs when suddenly the small garden path opened up to a beautifully tiled patio, lined with tall cypress trees, surrounding a large, sparkling pool. With an impish grin, Wyatt turned to Lucy who immediately understood what he was planning, "No…Wyatt…no." she insisted, "we can't…"

Wyatt, however, said nothing. He was already tugging off his shoes and socks, wordlessly motioning for Lucy to do the same with her heels. "Wyatt…" Lucy objected weakly as he finished and made his way over towards her, a devilish gleam in his eye, "Don't you dare…"

"Don't, what?" Wyatt asked innocently.

"Don't give me that…you know exactly what I mean." Lucy admonished as she pressed her finger into his chest. "It was different in Hollywood, Wyatt…those weren't our clothes…" she protested as Wyatt began gently kissing her neck, tugging on her thigh until she lifted her leg so he could remove one of her shoes, "we didn't have a room full of people waiting for…" she tried to explain but Wyatt cut her off with a searing kiss as he let that heel fall to the ground while blindly going to work on the other one. "We don't' have anything to change into…"Lucy gasped out, pushing herself away, before realizing as Wyatt raised his eyebrows suggestively that that was the wrong thing to say, "No…absolutely not, Wyatt…anyone could come out and catch us…"

"So we keep our clothes on, then." Wyatt said with a shrug as he leaned in for another kiss, sweeping her up in his arms as he did so.

In one last desperate attempt to make him see reason, Lucy wriggled herself out of his arms and held him back with the palm of her hand as she firmly declared, "Wyatt Logan…this is my wedding dress."

Not phased in the least by Lucy's protest, Wyatt picked up her dainty hand and pressed it against his lips, "You think I wasn't planning on destroying that dress later tonight, anyway?" Wyatt asked roguishly as she gaped at him, "C'mon Lucy, it's got a hundred tiny little buttons…that's just cruel." he said as he began walking towards her, inching her dangerously close to the edge of the pool.

"I thought you said you liked my dress?" Lucy asked, somewhat affronted.

"Oh, I do." Wyatt said with a nod as he leaned in towards her, his fingers deftly working the buttons down her back, "I love this dress. I love the way you look in this dress…but I have to tell you, Lucy…I think you'd look better out of it."

Rufus' voice sounded again somewhere in the upper garden, calling them and Wyatt looked to Lucy…waiting, it seemed, to follow her lead, though she suspected that his mind was already made up.

"Well, then." Lucy said with a sigh, "I guess there's only one thing to do." Wyatt's eyebrows shot to the sky as she shimmied out of her dress, letting it fall at her feet in a billowy heap. He stood there, staring at her, still clad in her silky slip, as she stepped out of her dress and kicked it to the side. Before he had a chance to react, Lucy gripped him by the shirt and jumped backwards into the pool pulling Wyatt with her in a tangle of limbs and a splash of water.

Coming up for air seemed like a lesson in futility after that; their need for oxygen seemingly outweighed by their need for each other. Wyatt pulled Lucy close to him, running one hand through the now tangled, wet mess of her hair as she wrapped herself around him, grateful to finally have some time together on the day that was supposed to be just for them.

Until…

"What in the holy hell is going on here?" Wyatt and Lucy broke apart, both breathless and sheepish as they looked up at a surprised Rufus who was standing, arms crossed, staring at the two of them like they were a couple of randy teenagers who had snuck away from their chaperones. "Do you have any idea how long we've been looking for the two of you?"

"Um…she fell." Wyatt gasped out with a shrug.

"Uh-huh." Rufus said as he gently toed Lucy's discarded wedding dress, "Fell right out of her clothes, I see."

"It was a hell of a thing." Wyatt said with a smirk, still gripping Lucy firmly by the waist and nuzzling her cheek with his nose, "It was a good thing I was here…"

"I'm sure it was." Rufus said with a disbelieving nod, "Clearly you were just administering CPR."

"Clearly." Wyatt murmured as he began kissing Lucy again.

"So, what you guys are bailing on your own party, is that it?" Rufus asked, but neither Lucy nor Wyatt answered him. "I've got a conga line going…"he enticed, but that did nothing to break the two of them apart. "You know I'm not your messenger boy…" he continued to protest, "if you two are gonna ditch a whole room full of people so you could make out in a pool…" Rufus rubbed the back of his neck with hand, as Lucy and Wyatt hugged each other closer, Wyatt's hands working to keep Lucy's slip from billowing up past her thighs while Lucy's fingers ran through Wyatt's hair. "Fine…" Rufus moaned, "Fine…since you two are clearly…whatever…I get it, you're married now…but it's still just plain rude." Rufus nodded uncomfortably and turned to go back up to the house, but quickly turned to get one last word in, "You two owe me…big time. You know what? Consider this my wedding present. That toaster I got you? Yeah…I'm taking that back."

Still completely wrapped around Lucy, Wyatt tugged off his tie and threw it in the direction of Rufus' voice.

"Okay, fine...I can take a hint." Rufus jabbed, "but you're going to miss limbo. Mason's giving away a new X-box to the winner..."

"Go away, Rufus." Wyatt murmured against Lucy's lips, setting her giggling.

"Fine...fine...I know when I'm not wanted." he grumbled looking back over his shoulder, only to find that Lucy and Wyatt were hardly concerned with anything but each other.

Making his way back up the house, Rufus found an anxious looking Jiya standing on the veranda, "Where are they? Did you find them? We need to do the bouquet toss and the garter throw and.."

"And I think it's gonna be a little while before we see Lucy and Wyatt again" Rufus interrupted with a shake of his head, smiling as he tugged on an exasperated Jiya's arm, "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be back...sometime...well, maybe...maybe not...you never can tell with those two."

"Did you tell them we still have the bouquet...and the garter...and limbo..."

"Believe me when I tell you...I don't think they give a damn about any of that." Rufus replied with a serious nod. "They've got more important things to worry about right now."

"What could be more important than their wedding day?" Jiya asked hotly.

Rufus turned to face the veranda doors and smiled broadly before replying with a quirked lip, "Coming up for air."


End file.
